Early Childhood Speaker Series Drs. Craig and Sharon Ramey

December 11-12, 2017

Professor James Heckman January 25, 2018

Dr. Pat Levitt February 6, 2018

What does research say about brain development?

1. Brains are built over time, from the bottom up (skill begets skill).

It’s like building a house; if the foundation is

weak, the house will forever be unstable.

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

Courchesne et al, Neuron 56, 2007

Dramatic Growth of Neuronal Architecture - Birth - 2 yrs (1 million synapses formed per second in the early years)

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50 days: exposed to early noise

Source: Chang & Merzenich (2003)

Extreme Early Experiences Can Dramatically Disrupt the Precision of Sensory Information Processing

16 days 50 days

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

Exposure to Complex Language Repertoire Begets Complex Language Repertoire

16 mos. 24 mos. 36 mos.

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College Educated Parents

Working Class Parents

Public Assistance Parents

Child’s Age (Months)

200

600

1200

Source: Hart & Risley (1995) Fernald et al 2012

400

800

1000

Dr. Pat Levitt. Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy (Feb 6 2018) http://gcsel education olemiss edu

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel education olemiss edu

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

What does research say about brain development?

2. Genes and experiences together build brains.

Our brains are hard-wired for relationships. An “environment of relationships” is crucial for the development of a child’s brain architecture, which lays the foundation for later outcomes such as academic performance, mental health, and interpersonal skills.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004). Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships:

Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

Serve & Return

What does research say about brain development?

3. Cognitive, social and emotional development are inextricably intertwined.

Yet, even with early adversity, there is a neural system that is key to social-emotional and cognitive resilience…the brain’s “air traffic controller”… executive functioning.

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

Executive Functioning Executive function and self-regulation skills depend on three types of brain function: working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control. These functions are highly interrelated, and the successful application of executive function skills requires them to operate in coordination with each other. Each type of executive function skill draws on elements of the others. • Working memory governs our ability to retain and manipulate

distinct pieces of information over short periods of time. • Mental flexibility helps us to sustain or shift attention in

response to different demands or to apply different rules in different settings.

• Self-control enables us to set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses.

What does research say about brain development?

4. Toxic stress damages brain architecture

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

The environment in which one develops before and soon after birth provides powerful experiences that chemically modify certain genes in ways that then define how much and when they are expressed. Thus, while genetic factors exert potent influences on human development, environmental factors have the ability to alter family inheritance. For example, children are born with the capacity to learn to control impulses, focus attention, and retain information in memory, but their experiences as early as the first year of life lay a foundation for how well these and other executive function skills develop.

National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (2004). Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships:

Working Paper No. 1. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

What does research say about brain development?

5. Child development is the foundation of prosperous communities.

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

States with low child achievement are falling off the education and economic cliff. Dr. Pat Levitt

Dr. Pat Levitt, Translating the Neuroscience of Early Brain and Child Development to Public Policy. Feb. 6, 2018 http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu

Mississippi: Key Facts

• A third of all children in MS live in poverty. • MS consistently has among the nation’s worst rates of premature births

which can lead to cognitive and neurodevelopmental impairments. • Only 57% of Mississippians are participating in the labor force (2nd worst). • In the Top 5 for residents collecting disability benefits. • MS incarcerates a higher percentage of its population than China or Russia. • Our state’s economy is growing far slower than other southern states and

behind the rest of the country. • Mississippi is the only Deep South state that has lost population for three

years in a row. • According to a report from the College Board, only a little more than half of

the graduates of Mississippi’s eight public universities are working in the state five years after graduation.

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

The most effective way to alleviate poverty and inequality is through the development of skills, not handouts. Professor James Heckman Human Development is Economic Development Jan. 25, 2018

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Skills beget skills.

• Help troubled American families develop the skills of their children through voluntary programs.

• We can reduce inequality and promote inclusion and social mobility by solving the skills problem.

• A comprehensive approach to skill development makes dollars and sense.

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

Pareto Principle named for Italian sociologist and economist,

Vilfredo Pareto

20% of the actors account for 80% of the results

Summary of Findings • 20% of the people account for 80% of social & health problems. • A high need/high cost segment uses at least 50% of the resources in

multiple sectors. • Most high need/high cost people in this segment share risk factors in the

first decade of life. Childhood risk factors of high cost group: IQ Self-control (executive functioning) Poverty (socio-economic status) Maltreatment/Neglect

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

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The Abecedarian Project Craig Ramey, the principal investigator of the original study, established a randomized trial to examine the extent to which intensive early childhood education could overcome the odds of developmental delays and academic failure for children born into low-income families. Following an experimental design, researchers recruited 111 at-risk children from families in Orange County, North Carolina. • Randomized Control Trial • Both groups were provided with nutritional supplements, social services,

and health care. • 5 years, 5 days a week, year round (average entrance age: 4 months)

• Language priority, • Conversational reading • Enriched caregiving • Learning games curriculum: Activities focused on social, emotional, and cognitive

areas of development but gave particular emphasis to language.

The enhanced income of mothers from providing childcare by itself pays for program costs.

According to Professor Heckman: Rate of Return on The Abecedarian Project

Overall - 13.7% per annum

Males - 14% per annum Females - 10% per annum

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

What returns? At age 15

• Higher IQ • Higher achievement scores in Math & Reading • Lower grade retention • Fewer placements in special education

At age 21 • Higher IQ • Higher on tests of Math & Reading • More years of education • More likely to attend college • Less likely to be teen parents • More likely to have a skilled job

At age 30 • More likely to have a bachelor’s degree • More likely to have a job • Less likely to be incarcerated • Less likely to need government support

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Prioritizing Spending

• Later remediation is costly and as currently configured is generally ineffective. • Effective adolescent remediation targets social and emotional skills

(not cognitive skills).

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

• Returns on high quality programs for disadvantaged children • Successful early childhood programs:

• Help parents grow their parenting skills • Foster the skills and aspirations of their children, and • Make for engaged and inclusive communities, a more skilled workforce, and a

healthier society.

Components of Effective Early Childhood Programs

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

Heckman Recommendations • Success depends on having the right skills and abilities. • The challenges facing families impair their ability to foster the skills of their

children. • Character and cognition are skills that can be developed, not traits fixed at

birth. • Developing skills and abilities is the best way to solve the problems of

economic and social inequality. • A skilled workforce is a flexible, adaptable, and productive workforce. • Supporting families in engaging and nurturing their children is key to success

in education and learning at all stages of a child’s life. • Invest more in prevention and less in remediation. Invest in flourishing lives,

not in correcting problems after they appear. http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu/wp-

content/uploads/sites/21/2018/02/HeckmanPres.pdf

Experiences matter…a lot.

While attachments to their parents are primary, young children can also benefit significantly from relationships with other responsive caregivers both within and outside the family. Again, Serve & Return builds brain architecture. Building the capabilities of adult caregivers can help strengthen the environment of relationships essential to children’s lifelong learning, health, and behavior. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2016). From Best Practices to

Breakthrough Impacts: A Science-Based Approach to Building a More Promising Future for Young Children and Families. Retrieved

from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.

Shonkoff, Center for the Developing Child, Harvard

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Post Truth?

Agnotology: The study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt; derived from agnosis, the Greek word for ignorance or “not knowing”.

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.

Winston Churchill

http://gcsel.education.olemiss.edu mbm@olemiss.edu